5 Companies 100% Killing it at Employer Branding

Employers today need to work harder than ever to find, acquire, and retain the talent they need to succeed.

Strong candidates are in short supply - particularly in industries facing severe talent shortages - so you need to give people a compelling reason to come and work for you. One of the best ways to achieve this is to develop a strong employer branding strategy.

Research from Talentnow shows the vast majority (84%) of job seekers think a company's reputation is important, while 50% wouldn't work for a firm with a bad reputation, even for a pay increase.

So what can you do to improve your employer brand? One effective strategy is to take lessons from those who are already killing it.

1. Google

It’ll come as no surprise that Google has one of the strongest employer brands in the world, and there are some good reasons why the search giant is so well known for being a rewarding and enjoyable place to work.

The firm has built its brand by carrying out in-depth research into topics like workplace culture and the nature of the working environment, the findings of which have fueled its efforts to make employees feel secure and fulfilled. One of Google's key priorities is showing its people that the work they do on a daily basis has value and significance.

As a result, the company receives some three million resumes a year, which is testament to the strength and magnetism of its employer brand.

2. SAP

A multinational software corporation headquartered in Germany, SAP was one of the big winners at the Employer Brand Management Awards in 2019. It picked up the top accolades in categories including:

• Best use of social media in the management or promotion of the employer brand
• Best localization of a global employer brand management program
• Best employer brand innovation
• Best employer brand management from the technology, media and telecommunications sector
• Grand prix of employer brand management

The company's efforts to build and maintain a powerful brand include maintaining a 'Life at SAP' page on its website, which tells candidates the firm will:

It embraces the philosophy of employees bringing their whole self to work, which is encapsulated in the message:

3. Salesforce

Great Place to Work named Salesforce the UK's best workplace in 2019 (1,000+ employees). All employees questioned for the survey said the company offered "special and unique" benefits and they’d recommend it to others.

One of Salesforce's biggest strengths is how it supports people's professional growth and career development, with a senior manager in corporate marketing saying the company provides opportunities for staff to continuously learn and explore different roles.

The firm has also attached a lot of importance to key principles like:

• Transparency and feedback
• Creating a sense of purpose
• Work-life balance
• Flexibility and mobility

4. HubSpot

As a marketing and sales software provider, HubSpot specializes in helping clients build their brands and make positive connections with their audiences. And it’s clear they’ve applied these same lessons to its own employer brand; they were the number 1 employees’ choice in  the Glassdoor Best Places to Work 2020 survey.

One reviewer said the firm worked hard to achieve diversity, inclusivity, and an environment where - much like SAP - people are able to bring "their true selves" to work.

On its careers page, HubSpot says it strives for "radical" transparency, which means everyone from board-level executives to interns share information, knowledge, and ideas. The company also places trust in its people to work with autonomy and to take ownership of activities that directly impact the business.

5. GE

Founded in 1892, General Electric is a company that has had to find ways to stay relevant and keep its employer brand fresh in a fast-moving, digital world, increasingly defined by tech giants that are shaping how modern society functions.

One of the ways it has achieved this is by maintaining a sense of humor and not taking itself too seriously, as shown by its 'What's the Matter with Owen' campaign.

The ad features a young engineer struggling to explain to people exactly what it is he does at the company.

The campaign - which was a "massive success", according to ad agency BBDO New York - manages to balance fun with a sense of pride in working for GE and some subtle references to the firm's important work.